Following this Blog

Readers around the world

.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Hi gang, I’m reposting this my, BOB/emergency kit.Most of it is pretty basic, but it will work as a starting point for your own.A lot depends on your location and climate, but most items will be useful for a variety of situations.

This is a city kit, so its missing much of what you’d have for a wilderness kit.

I posted this somewhere else, maybe it will give you some ideas for a BOBNot a B.O.B. precisely, its more of a Survival/Emergency kit . Should work as a get home bag, help to survive for a while if something unexpected happens and get you out of some minor troubles as well.

It’s actually divided into two. A small Samsonite backpack and an outdoors Doite fanny pack with webbing to carry a ½ liter bottle.

I carry the fanny pack with me at all times when traveling for any period of time. It’s gone with me to many countries as well. ( I leave the gun behind, of course)The backpack stays in the car at all times, but the fanny pack comes and goes depending on the situation. I find it easier that way. Leaving the backpack there and having the more valuable items (gun, ammo, binoculars) in the smaller fanny pack, which is much easier to drop into the car or retrieve it.

There also another bag in the car with more spare clothes, a blanket/sleeping bag, etc as well as a big 5 liter bottle of water. Those stay in the car at all times, along with the backpack.Notice that the bags are pale green, the Samsonite back pack has some camel on the sides, but it all blends pretty well in the city and doesn’t catch the eye as bright collors or distinguishable patterns do.OK, lets start with the samsonite back pack. It’s really small, kind of flat. But has excellent cushioning for the back and the shoulder straps fit nicely and are wide where they meet the shoulders, cushioned and comfortable to wear.Contents:Outside pocket:

Candy. Sugar, fast energy.Cutter.Scalpel.Folding knife with pocket clip. Sturdy enough. Aluminum handles. Half serrated, half straight.Floss. Can be used for a lot of things other than actually flossing.Small Bic lighter.Lighter.Super glue.Contact cement. ( inside superglue box)Salt.LED light. ( 5 LED kind). Used it for a few months to test durability, works ok and its’ pretty sturdy.Small radio. Gather news and information during troubled times.Roll of coins. Extra money, bending machines.Compass-waterproof match box-flint-whistle thing.Batteries. AA for the LED and a couple AAA for the radio.Scotch tape.Red Duct tape. Flat core.50 feet of thin steel cable with plastic covering. Not sure how much weight it can tolerate, but it can easily handle my weight.Note pad.Isostar fast hydration tablets. 2 Peanut bars. Missing in the pics: Roll of Toilet Paper with the cardboard removed inside a ziplock bag. TP moistures real soon, I’ve used damp TP before ands I don not want to repeat the experience! : )

3x ½ Liter bottles. Good measure. Can be used to refill if another source of water is found. I also keep a 5 liter bottle of water in the car at all times.Emergency blanket. New Testament.Map of Buenos Aires.50 feet of 300 kg rope. Enough to climb down a 4th floor. Many uses. Always good to have rope.The Tasco binoculars stays in the fanny pack, not in the backpack, Isostar tablets already listed.First aid:

Spare clothes. One pair of socks, underwear and t shirt. There’s more clothes in another bag in the car. T shirt can be used as a towel is needed.Metal Cup. Cooking, drinking, etc.Candle with 4 wicks. Made it myself using wicks , paraffin and a tuna can. With the 4 wicks lit it boils a cup of water in 10 minutes. Not perfect but good enough to cook. Also good heat and light source.1 hour Epoxy. Chose it over the 10 minute one because you can work calmly and the final result is usually better.

2 Tuna pouches. Tastes good, 3 or 4 years. The thick aluminum pouch is pretty sturdy. You can eat it without preparation and will keep you going for a while. Takes up very little space in the pack, you can combine it with some rice for a real tasty meal. Best emergency meal out there, at least from those available to me.

Can of corned Beef. Heavy, but needs no cooking and lasts forever. If weight is a concern, it would be one of the firs meals to go.Isostar Energy chewing tablets, lemon flavor.One orange powder envelope.2 soups.2 Rice Mix. Cheese and with dehydrated vegetables. Taste good and provide enough calories. 2 Soup cubes.

Old Gerber Multi Tool ( not here, but in the fanny pack)1Kg of dry Pasta. Mc Donalds salt, Ketchup, Mustard and Mayo.Some medium gauge cord. Pencil. ( Just ½ actually)Hotel Sewing Kit. You know the kind. Needles, buttons, some threads, hook needle, etc. The cotton thread is too weak for serious repairs. I added one quality needle and some black nylon thread ( unbreakable) , the kind I use in my cordura gear. Tooth brush.Small tooth paste. Tooth paste does little to keep your teeth clean, brushing them is what really cleans them, so I’m not carrying a big tooth paste tube during an emergency. I may add a Noc10 tube, small one.Saw.Deodorant (1/2 way through to reduce weight)Lighter.Rubber bands and tire bands, also called Ranger bands.Soap. Thought about including a small hotel soap, but I found out that soap is a valuable commodity and the small ones don’t last that much. I’d like to take as much baths as possible. Ear muffs. Shooting, explosions, who knows? Nivea body cream, free sample. Precious for the ladies, and also valuable for those that have dug out a tire with their bare hands. Little space and weight, but may be extremely valuable if you do need it.

Now the fanny pack.

Browning Hi Power 9mm. Nothing fancy but it works ok and its the most popular pistol in my country. I polished the feeding ramp for added JHP reliability. No problems. Depending on the situation ( holydays, etc) it may get replaced by the Bersa 9mm or Glock. But most of the time the Hi Power stays there, even if I’m carrying another weapon. It’s part of the kit, and not readily available. Its inside the IWB holster, and inside the cotton bag as well. Sometimes when I travel I use the fanny pack to take money/documents and end up opening it in front of strangers. The small cotton bag keeps the gun hidden even if I open the fanny pack.Tuna Pouch.Fire starter.Lighter.Wire.Lip balm.Small pliers.Aluminum foil.Candle.Contact glue (fixing shoes)Magnesium and flint.Emergency blanket.Epoxy band-aids.Tasco binocular.Small can of meat pate.Funny looking tin. 50 rounds of +P+ 9mm. Sealed.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

OK guys and gals. This has been going great so far. I’m glad people are enjoying the blog.Please, share and repost as much as you want, its ok. Just remember to include a link to the source so as to give credit from where you are getting it, as we usually do with everything else.

I owe many of you some posts. Marie, Kate and the other requests, I’ll work on them as soon as I can, ok? Please be patient.

Theotherryan, a judge would be PRICELESS. For real. I can assure you that if you can somehow make friendship with one, it’s about the best contact you can make.I’d even place him above the cherished doctor. A judge can help not only regarding legal harassment that can ruin your life ( talking based on personal experience) help after a self defense shooting, help during legal problems that would otherwise take years.

A judge should be top of your list, at least top 3.

People sometimes concentrate too much on the guns and shooting part ( agreed, it is more fun) but getting off the hook is just as important.I know of a man that killed two during a home invasion. He happened to shoot them as they turned to leave, he even used the much romanticized lever action rifle ( remember all those posts about politically correct guns?) well, it did him little good.He got charged, the judge considered that the wounds in the back where a sign of shooting while his life was not being threatened. He’s rotting in jail right now, for killing two robbers that broke into his home.A judge friend would have helped a lot.A cop friend in his district maybe could have avoided it all…

NWPilgrim, definitely, a church group does help a lot during these times.Just the amount of people you get to meet who share your values is reason enough. Poor and middle class people rely a lot on their church groups for food, used clothing, finding work, etc.Then you have the contacts we’re discussing here.

People, with 25% unemployment, most job offers don’t even get to the paper, they get covered before that, by friends, relatives, etc.It helps a LOT to have a group of people that is willing to help. “My son/wife/myself is looking for a job. Anyone knows of any opening?”That’s how most people got their jobs, specially during the first few years after the crisis, and that’s how it still works most of the time. Specially when your profession or field of work isn’t very specialized, and you find 50 guys on the line the following day, applying for that same job.

Monday, February 18, 2008

List of People to be Friends with

This has been on my mind for a while now, and whenever I thought about how long the list would be, I got tired before starting so I never got around to do it.But I guess it is important, it does make life easier, and it may make the difference in other, more critical matters.The list has no particular order of importance, though everyone can well imagine that some “contacts” are more critical than others.

When the word “survivalist” is mentioned, most people imagine the bearded hermit living in the middle of nowhere, caressing his shotgun while he giggles like a lunatic. Or at the other end of the spectrum, some guy tightly winded up, that cant keep a normal conversation for 5 minutes without talking about the latest conspiracy theory, such as the relationship between Area 51 …Illuminati …Teletubbies …

Ok, so no. You need to be an outgoing person, someone that knows how to make acquaintances, if not friends. You don’t need to be best buds, you wont be giving away your daughter for crying out loud, all you need is to be nice enough so as to be able to ask for a favor if you ever need one, and be ready to do the same in return.

Doctor/Pharmacist: Should be pretty obvious. You need someone that you can trust for health matters. But try going a bit further. You may one dat need something more than the average patient(doc relationship.Ask about his/her weekend, how the kids are. Again, you aren’t looking for a best friend, just to knock down the barrier in case you ever have to ask for a favor, ask for some extra subscription meds, antibiotics. Having a good relationship with someone that can get you meds is something you should try working on right now, at the very least try to be in good terms with the pharmacist guy.

The guy in the pharmacy near by will sell me almost everything, even without a doctor’s note.

It’s also important to have a good relationship with a doctor in case you need to ask for help during weekends, holydays, getting his/her cell number, etc.

Cops: You need them to know what’s going on, sometimes stuff that doesn’t get spread through the news to avoid panic, or simply because of censorship. You’ll know what’s really going on in your neighborhood by talking to your local police.

You need to be in good terms with them so that they respond fast during emergencies, watch over your house with at least a bit of extra interest.If you end up shooting in self defense, a cop friend in your district may save you a LOT of trouble.I know of a case where it made the difference, in an attempt of robbery, a switchblade next to the downed bad guy’s body…yup, you definitely need a cop on your side.

A lawyer: Hey, when you need one you’ll need him bad. Have a good one and his number always handy. Try dropping an accountant to the mix to. Someone in the black/gray market: He can save you a lot of money. And when things start getting either hard to find or too expensive, he’s the guy you’ll want to speak with.

Currency broker: Someone that buys and sells different currencies or precious metals. I have 3 guys from which I buy/sell. When one tries to screw me over, I go to the other one, that way none of them things he’s got me tied, so I always end up getting a more or less fair deal. These guys buy and sell pesos, Euros, USD, reales (Brazil) gold, silver, and even jewelry gold, having market values for all of them.

Gun dealers: Pretty similar to the previous one. I have couple with whom I deal most often. I deal with the one that gives me the best deal, but I try to distribute the shopping as well as I can, to keep the “friendship” up, so I’ll know of any good deals either one has to offer, the kind that only “customers” get to know of.Found some pretty cool stuff thanks to that.Artisan / Craftsman: To help you on various projects. Hopefully it will be someone that works well with steel, leather, cordura, and plastic.He can fix gear for you, make equipment up that you might have thought of, or designed yourself.

Collector: Sometimes you need a bit of extra leverage, and it’s work you wont want to do yourself. Believe me, it’s pretty hard to collect when almost ½ the country is broke.So this isn’t just a Hollywood thing, you’ll need a good collector for doing businesses, specially collecting rent. Don’t go for the aggressive maniac, you need someone that is persuasive, gets your money, but wont hurt the person in the process.You need him healthy to keep on paying, and to avoid legal problems. Machinist: A bit similar to the Craftman, but the machinist specializes on precise metal work. You’ll need him for gun accessories, help with projects, etc.Farmer/rancher: Someone that can get you fresh food if it starts getting scarce, or find you good deals during the good times.

Gov. Employee: Yes, it’s like sleeping with the enemy, but someone that knows the ways of the “Dark Side” can save you from a lot of trouble, save you from otherwise month/year long waiting periods, just to mention one.

How to make “friends”?Try being friendly generally speaking. I’m a naturally quiet person, I don’t like talking much with strangers, just not that kind of person. But I saw it for the flaw that it was, and I’ve been working hard in changing that.Try to understand that not everyone thinks like you ( specially if you are a prepper/survivalist!) So try speaking their language , bite your tongue whenever you want to say things such as “That ‘s the most sheepish piece of brain washing crap I’ve ever heart”. I find myself avoiding saying that many times a day, but it’s important to be able to fit.

I’m getting pretty good results lately when I offer to take people shooting. Its good for making bonds, those that are interested later appreciate it after you take them. You “converted” someone and maybe made a friend/contact, so it’s a dobule plus.

Anyway, this list is pretty short and missing a lot, but you get the idea.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

1)Always park close.You want to minimize the amount of time you are vulnerable.

2)Park the car with the front towards the road, so that you can drive away fast if needed.

3)Keep the keys in you hand before you exit the building, you don’t need to stand there like a fool looking for your keys.A LED light in your car keys can be priceless.

4)Check 360º every few steps, there’s no other way of knowing if you are being followed or ambushed. If you do see a possible threat, you walk back to the building if you can.

5)If the parking lot looks dark, deserted, take no chances. Keep your gun in your hand ( or other weapon) , pressed against your side or concealed under some garment. Same goes for people with suspicious attitudes, draw slowly and be ready.

A gun already in your hand 2 seconds ( or 2 minutes) before you need it is faster than the fastest speed draw in the planet. Ponder that thought for a second.

6)Keeping a can of pepper spray readily available in the car or better yet, on you, will be very useful in case you need a less than lethal alterative, like dealing with drunk teenagers, upset or disturbed people that behave violently.

7) Finally, a common tactic used by carjackers is to brake the car windows so as to scare you, grab you, and make it hard for you to see.There’s a polymer film, some call it “anti vandal” sheathing, that sticks to the inside of your windows and not only keeps the glass together but also adds to it’s strength if a stone is thrown at your windshield while driving.Because of it’s low price vs. the upgrade it means security-wise, this is a must have for your car.Look around and buy the best product. I know there’s some of the thicker stuff that makes your windows stop 22LR projectiles.

Not much, but better than nothing, and it might stop other small calibers if they impact in a narrow angle, or deflect. Be advised, this IS NOT bulletproof material, but it does add a bit and every bit counts.

About Me

Camping Survival

Fish Antibiotics

Subscribe To

My email:

ferfal308@hot (remove) mail.com

Guys, unless specifically told not to, I'll post the reply here in the blog so everyone can read it.I'll just leave the first name, and remove the last name, email or any other specific information for privacy reasons.Thanks

Leatherman Charge Ti

Fenix Lights

I love this light. Runs on a single AAA and is capable of big boy lumen output (80 lumens) in a keychain package. Also has low and mid mode for longer runtime.
Fenix PD20
Single CR123 cell. 6 modes including 180 lumen turbo mode.
General Mode: 9 lumens (35hrs) -> 47 lumens (6.5hrs) -> 94 lumens (2.6hrs) -> SOS
Turbo Mode: 180 lumens (1hrs) -> Strobe
15 days of survival use (2 continuous hours per day on the lowest setting)

Thanks for the Positive Reviews!

Energency gadget... on steroids.

Asus Eee 1005HA

Basic Door/Window Alarm

Emergency gadget

Both tool and weapon, just the right size

Straight edge makes it easier to sharpen, + tougher tip

Gorilla Tape

By all accounts and reviews I’ve read so far, it truly is “The toughest Tape on the Planet”

Transportation

I talked about these some time ago in an article, remember someone asked where to get one.
"Alternative Transportation"
Just found one reasonably priced and with excellent reviews in Amazon.

Best Folder

Emergency blankets. I Have several of these around.

Katadyn water filter

for the kits

and food ...

Got to have water: Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel

Moleskine, the ultimate little black cover notebook :)

Fenix L0D-CE. Perfect keychain light. 80 Lumens in a single AAA

Nice combo. The Soldier is an excellent product.

Sabre Red OC spray

Made in USA
This is the brand I use and always have one in my bag and car. ( same brand used by NYPD)
My wife keeps one in her purse too.
Sabre Red Tear Gas
Sabre Red for ladies
You guys have the coolest stuff up there.:)

Jack Bauer’s bag.:) I’d like to get one of these and try it out.

Fox OC Spray

Don’t have this one but it’s the hottest OC spray out there.
Someone once called it “bottled lava”
Pick your poison people, but do carry OC
1) Even if you carry a gun
2) SPECIALLY if you don’t carry a gun

Firesteel

Classic, and one of the few things I’d call a “must have” I own two of these.